A walking field trip from their preschool to the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Station 28 on East G Street in Oakdale was both educational and fun for the kids from House of Tykes preschool on Friday, Sept. 28.

Captain Zack Gardner, Engineer Jeremy Tankersley and Firefighter Brian Rotan were all on hand to lead a tour of the firehouse, including the kitchen area, the living/dining room area and the equipment bay, with a wide variety of trucks stored and ready for use.

Rotan told the students that there are three different shifts of fire crews that work at the station, with firefighters on for two days, then off for three. They live at the firehouse during their shifts, so they cook meals, sleep, watch TV, exercise and more as part of a normal day at the station.

There are three refrigerators in the kitchen, Rotan pointed out, as each shift has their own refrigerator and cooks their own food.

They youngsters also learned about when to call 9-1-1 – it isn’t for when your video game doesn’t work, the fire officials said – and got some tips on fire safety. They were also quizzed about why firefighters use lights and sirens.

One young student said it’s so “drivers know to pull over” and let the fire trucks through, earning him kudos for his knowledge from Captain Gardner.

House of Tykes leaders said the visit was part of a ‘career day’ for the students, learning about the different jobs people in the community have.

A special ‘station test’ of the tones for Station 28 was run by the county dispatch system operator, who also welcomed the House of Tykes to the station over the station monitor.